Romance Across the Snow
by spiceXisXnice
Summary: AU Two lovers of feuding circuses meet under cover of night. How will their romance survive? Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown, and I give much praise to the brilliant William Shakespeare.
1. Chapter 1

The man walked to the front of the tent, where the little circus orphans played. "Listen, my children," he began. He was an older gentleman, tall with graying hair, yet still cool, clear eyes. He sat on a bench. The children gathered around. They knew him simply as the story-teller, when the circus finished every night, he would come and tell a story, to help them forget about the trials of life as an orphan. Even the older, teenage children listened, although they pretended not to. He cleared his throat and looked at the children.

"In a beautiful valley between the mountain cities of Xiaolin and Heylin, two circuses set up for the winter months. You know traveling circuses cannot travel during the winter, but these two circuses should not have been together. It was the Monatio and Calienta circuses, and they were sworn enemies. Trust me, my children, I was there. I wasn't much older then…" He peered around, his eyes finally settling on a 17 year old Spanish boy. "Not a day older then Faust there. Being in this valley together invoked new anger in the Monatio and Calienta circuses, and there were scuffles and fights almost daily. Unfortunately, before they had time to get away from each other, a huge snowstorm blew in, and the mountain passes were filled. It became so cold that the snow between the passes froze, and so they were caught with each other. But, there was one boy in my enemies' circus."

FLASHBACK

"It's f-f-f-freezing!" said the large man. He looked at his red-haired counterpart. "But we can't take the Monatio Circus' garbage anymore!"

"Then we'd be garbage men, wouldn't we?" he laughed. He tipped up his goggles and smiled at his friend. "Tubbi, calm down!"

"If they make me angry," said Tubbi, shaking, "I'll pull out some tricks like they've never seen before!"

"I think you should focus on pulling yourself out of trouble, Tubbi," replied Gemini.

"I hit hard when I'm angry," said Tubbi, appearing not to have heard a word Gemini said.

"Most people can't make you angry. You're not as tough as you look," he said, casting a nervous glance toward his friend.

"One of those Monatio dogs can make me angry."

"Angry enough to run away! You won't stand and fight, you're afraid of what Prince Chase will do to you. You know he doesn't like us fighting!" said Jack's twin, Gemini.

"A dog from that circus will make me angry enough to take a stand," he growled venomously. He spotted Rai, the Monatio clown, walking over. "Pull out your tricks!" he whispered to Gemini.

"If he tries anything, I'm ready," he whispered back. "Don't worry about me. Let's not get Prince Chase worried about us by fighting. Let's let them start something. I'll frown at him when he passes, and he can react how he wants," he said.

"You mean however they dare," Tubbi spat. "I'll flip him off. If they let me get away with it they'll be dishonored." He flew the bird at them.

Rai saw it and strode over. "Are you flipping me off?" he asked.

"Is the law on our side if I say yes?" whispered Tubbi.

"No," whispered Gemini back.

Tubbi cleared his throat. "No, not at you, I'm just flipping off," he said innocently.

"Are you flipping me off?" Rai hissed, giving Tubbi a cold, hard stare.

"No, not at you, I'm just flipping off," Tubbi repeated, grinning at him cheekily.

"Are you trying to start a fight?"

"Quarrel, sir? Why no, sir!" replied Tubbi, military fashion.

"If you want to fight, I'm your man. My ringmaster is as good as yours."

"No better!"

"Yes, better!"

"You lie!" He flew at Raimundo, fists flinging, burying him in the cold snow. He stayed on top of Rai, trying to suffocate him, while punching all the parts he could.

Ashley ran over and grabbed his shoulders. "Break it up, you fools. Put your fists away. You don't know what you're doing!" She pulled out her lion tamer whip.

The big Texan Monatio also spotted what was going on and ran over. "What, lioness? You've pulled out your whip to fight with these immature kids? Turn around, Ashley, and look at the man who's going to fight you, and you know I don't fight girls." He pulled out his lasso.

"I'm only trying to keep the peace," she said venomously. "Either put away your rope or use it to help me stop this fight!"

"What?" said Rai, pulling himself up and brushing the snow off. "You take out your whip and then talk about peace? I hate the word peace like I hate hell, all Monatios, and you. Let's go at it, coward!"

They flew at each other. Gradually, a crowd of circus people gathered around Clay, Tubbi, and Gemini to watch. They cried, "Use your whip! Use your tumbling! Hit them! Beat them down! Down with the Calientas! Down with the Monatios!"

Mr. Dashi saw what was happening and made his way over. "What's happening?" he cried. "Get me my baton!"

Wuya, the Monatio ringmaster, also made her way over. "I want my staff. Old Dashi is here, and he's waving his baton around just to make me mad."

"Wuya, you villain!" His pet komodo dragon, Dojo, grabbed his pant leg and held him back. Mr. Dashi looked at him. "Don't stop me. Let me go."

Dojo gave him a look that said, 'I'm not letting go.'

Mr. Guan walked over and shouted, "You rebels! Enemies of the peace!" He was their designated peacekeeper, and his voice was said to stop storms. At that moment, they believed. "Men who turn their weapons against their own neighbors—They won't listen to me?—You there! You men, you beasts, who satisfy your anger with fountains of each others' blood! I'll have you on elephant duty if you don't put down your swords and listen to your angry peacekeeper." The fighters put down their weapons. "Three times now riots have broken out in this valley, all because of a casual word from you, Dashi and Wuya. Three times the peace has been disturbed in our snow, and the valley's old citizens have had to take off their costumes and pick up rusty old spears to part you. If you ever cause a disturbance on our streets again, you'll pay for it with your lives. Everyone else, go away for now." He turned to Dashi. "You, Dashi, come with me." He turned to Wuya."Wuya, this afternoon come to see me and I'll tell you what else I want from you. As for the rest of you, I'll say this once more: go away or be put on elephant duty." The crowd soon dispersed, save Wuya and Ashley.

"Who started this?" Wuya demanded. "Ashley, you were there, who started it?"

"Tubbi and Rai were fighting before I got here. I drew my whip to part them. Right then, Clay showed up and that hothead Rai got up with his fists ready. He taunted me!" she added defensively. "As we were trading blows, more and more people showed up to join the fight, until the Mr. Guan came and broke everyone up," she said sheepishly.

"Oh, where's Jack?" she asked, head in hands. "Have you seen him today? I'm glad he wasn't here for this fight. He would've screwed us all over."

"To answer your question," said Ashley, "I had a lot on my mind this morning, so I went for a walk. In the evergreen grove that grows on the west side of the valley, I saw Jack taking an early-morning walk. I headed toward him, but he saw me coming and hid in the trees. I thought he must be feeling the same way I was—wanting to be alone and tired of his own company. I figured he was avoiding me, and I was perfectly happy to leave him alone and keep to myself," she said.

"He's been seen there many mornings," said Wuya confusedly. "Crying tears that add drops to the morning dew and making a cloudy day cloudier with his sighs. But as soon as the sun rises in the east, Jack comes home to escape the light. Even his twin Gemini can't cheer him up! This mood of his is going to bring bad news, unless someone smart can fix what's bothering him." She made a sulky face. "He won't even tell me what's wrong! I've tried, believe me, and many of our friends have tried to make him talk, but he keeps his thoughts to himself. He doesn't want any friend but himself, and though I don't know whether he's a _good_ friend to himself, he certainly keeps his own secrets. He's like a flower bud that won't open itself up to the world because it's been poisoned from within by parasites. If we could only find out why he's sad, Gemini would be as eager to help him as we were to learn the reason for his sadness."

They spotted Jack in the snow not far off, then. He was indeed looking sad, his eyeliner run from tears. He sniffed, then shuffled forward a bit.

"Step aside," demanded Ashley. "He'll either have to tell me what's wrong or else tell me no over and over."

"I hope you're lucky enough to hear the true story by sticking around," said Wuya, shaking her hand, then went off, wringing her hands.

Ashley walked over and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and she grinned her long, pointy teeth at him. "Morning, Jack!"

He sighed and looked emo again. "Is it still that early?"

The grin slid off Ashley's face. "It's only nine now."

"Time goes by slowly when you're sad," he said. "Was that Wuya who left here in such a hurry?"

Ashley nodded. "What's making you so sad your hours are so long?"

"I don't have the thing that makes time fly," replied Jack, looking wistfully at the mountains.

Ashley nodded wisely. "In love?"

"Out."

"Out of love?"

"I love her, and she doesn't love me."

"It's sad," said Ashley, patting him on the shoulder. "Love looks like a nice thing, but it's actually very rough when you experience it."

"What's sad is that love is supposed to be blind, but it can still make you do whatever it wants." His stomach growled. "So, where should we eat?" HE saw the blood on the snow. His hand flew to his chest. "Holy! What fight happened here? No, don't tell me—I know all about it. This fight has a lot to do with hatred, but it has more to do with love. O brawling love! O loving hate! Love that comes from nothing! Sad happiness! Serious foolishness! Beautiful things muddled together into an ugly mess! Love is heavy and light, bright and dark, hot and cold, sick and healthy, asleep and awake—it's everything except what it is! This is the love I feel, though no one loves me back," he finished dramatically. He looked at Ashley. "Are you laughing?"

Ashley tried to cover herself. "Uh, no, I'm…crying."

"Why?"

"Because you're so sad."

"Yes, this is what love doe," he said sadly, not catching Ashley's mistake. "My sadness sits heavy in my chest, and you want to add your own sadness to mine so there's even more. I have too much sadness already, and now you're going to make me sadder by feeling sorry for you. Here's what love is: a smoke made out of lovers' sighs. When the smoke clears, love is a fire burning in your lover's eyes. If you frustrate love, you get an ocean made out of lovers' tears. What else is love? It's a wise form of madness. It's a sweet lozenge that you choke on. Goodbye, cousin." He stuffed his hands into his pockets and began to walk off.

"I'll come with you!" said Ashley, feeling bad that she'd laughed at his emo poetry. "If you leave me like this, you're doing me wrong."

"I'm not myself. I'm not here. This isn't Jack—he's somewhere else," said Jack, waving a dismissive hand.

"Who do you love?" demanded Ashley.

"Seriously? You mean I should just groan and tell you?"

"No groaning," she said, "but yeah, that's the gist of it."

"Well, it's a woman," Jack started, "and she's smart as heck. But…she's shielded by the armor of chastity. She can't be touched by the weak and childish arrows of love. She won't listen to words of love, or let you look at her with loving eyes, or open her lap to receive gifts of gold. She's rich in beauty, but she's also poor, because when she dies her beauty will be destroyed with her."

"She's gonna be a virgin forever?" demanded Ashley. "You just want to get into her pants?"

"I'm a dude, of course I want to!" exclaimed Jack. "Plus, if you starve yourself of sex you can't ever have children, and so your beauty is lost to future generations. She's too beautiful and too wise to deserve heaven's blessing by making me despair. She's sworn off love, and that promise has left me alive but dead, living only to talk about it now."

"Stupid male hormones," muttered Ashley. "Take my advice. Don't think about her."

"Teach me to forget to think," said Jack sarcastically, "then we'll talk."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but you're desperate. Do it by letting your eyes wander freely. Look at other beautiful girls," Ashley suggested.

"That will only make me think more about how beautiful _she_ is. Beautiful women like to wear black masks over their faces—those black masks only make us think about how beautiful they are underneath. A man who goes blind can't forget the precious eyesight he lost. Show me a really beautiful girl. Her beauty is like a note telling me where I can see someone even more beautiful. Goodbye. You can't teach me to forget," said Jack dismissively, shuffling off.

"I'll show you how to forget, or else I'll die owing you that lesson," murmured Ashley, before walking to her cart as well.


	2. Chapter 2

Digiwildfire: No worries, I don't like Jack/Ashley either.

Fallonmarie3: Heh, yeah, good old Will.

Nasyki Ikysan: I guess so. I tried to put Mr. Shakespeare's words into modern context; the only line I took directly was "Quarrel, sir? Why no, sir!" And yes, I am an avid Shakespeare fan (I just got finished with a production of 'As You Like It') so check out the new summary.

Bewarethedarkness: Congratulations on guessing the pairing. You win a cookie. Thanks for the PS! This idea's been in my head a long while.

Linac428: Thanks!

STORYTELLERSTORYTELLER

"But, storyteller," piped up one boy, "who were you?"

The storyteller chuckled. "You might never know that until the end of the story, little Paolo. Patience. Now, the lady from the Calienta Circus, she had a suitor, named Prince Chase."

The children gasped. A little Asian girl in a pink leotard yelled, "Not Chase!"

"Little Rin, he has done us no harm in the story yet," laughed the cool eyed man.

She blushed. Her older sister came over and sat next to her. "Please, story-teller, she can be dramatic at times."

The storyteller smiled. "She is yet young, Kagami. Let her be dramatic." He ruffled Rin's hair. "Now, we were talking about Prince Chase. He was a visiting prince who got stuck in the storm with them. He was staying with the Calientas, but he was neutral, much like Mr. Guan. He did love a Calienta girl, though. The very Calienta our sad Monatio had yet to discover…"

Flashback

"But Wuya has sworn an oath just like I have, and he's under the same penalty. I don't think it will be hard for men as old as we are to keep the peace," continued Mr. Dashi. He was drinking green tea in his tent with Prince Chase. Though he had long since left his native China to join the Calienta Circus, he still enjoyed green tea, meditation, and the occasional won-ton feast. He and Prince Chase had been conversing for a while.

"It's too bad you've been enemies for so long," said Chase after taking a sip of his tea. "However, I should like to know what you think of my request."

Mr. Dashi sighed. "I'm sorry, Chase, but Kimiko is still so young. She's not even 17 yet. Let's wait a couple more years, and then we'll see how we feel. Plus, the circus still needs her. She's our star trapeze and tightrope artist!"

"Girls younger then her have been married, with their guardian's permission, of course. Mr. Dashi, you are Kimiko's guardian."

"Ah," said Dashi, a look of sadness on his face. "Girls who marry young grow up too fast. But, you have my permission to try and charm her, try and make her fall in love with you. If she decides to marry you when she comes of age, then I'll give my blessing." He and Chase sat in silence for a moment. Dashi's face lit up abruptly, and he said, "We're having a bit of a party tonight in the big top to celebrate the day the Calienta Circus was founded. Why not join us? It'll be amazing."

"I'd be delighted," said Chase, and he raised his mug to honor the Calienta Circus.

"Marvelous," said Dashi, smiling. "It's a masquerade, so come prepared." Mr. Dashi went outside when Chase had left. He saw one of their tumblers, Keiko, and handed her the guest list. "Find these people," he said, "and tell them to come to the big top for a party tonight and that it's a masquerade." He disappeared into his cart again.

Keiko took one look at the list and groaned. "I can't read this! It looks like chicken scratches!" She put her head in her hands and set off to find someone who could read it.

Elsewhere, Jack and Gemini were having troubles.

"Put out the fire by starting another!" said Gemini. "You'll never get Mimiene, and you know it. Go get a new girl!"

"A bandage is excellent for that," Jack told his twin.

"For what?"

"When you skin your knee."

Gemini gave him a confused look. "Jack, are you crazy?"

"I'm tied up tighter then a crazy man in a straightjacket!" moaned Jack. Looking up, he said, "Wow, I sounded like that big Calienta guy for a second. Whatsisname…Clay!"

"No," said the girl walking up. "Keiko. Listen, can you guys read this?" She thrust a piece of paper at them.

Jack took it. "Sure. Let's see, it says, Clay Bailey, Raimundo Pedrosa, Omi, Kimiko Tohomiko, Prince Chase Young, Le Mimiene, Mr. M. Guan, and Jie Fung. Where are these people supposed to come?"

"Up," replied Keiko cleverly.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Up where?"

"To the Calienta big top for a masquerade party. If you're not in the Monatio Circus, you can come along, too." She smiled at them, and then walked off, reciting the names of the people she was supposed to invite.

"Every beautiful girl in the Calienta Circus will be there along with your beloved Mimiene," said Gemini when she'd left. "I'll show you some really pretty girls if we go tonight."

"My eyes would never lie to me like that!" exclaimed Jack. "A woman prettier then Mimiene? The sun itself has never seen prettier. I'll go with you, but only to see Mimiene."

"You're obsessed," marveled Gemini.

End Flashback

"But, storyteller," said Kagami. "Jack cannot love Mimiene. She'll never love anyone! And Jack seems so sad and helpless..."

"Patience, Kagami," said the storyteller, grinning. "I am not yet through."

Flashback

Back at the Calienta Circus…

Dashi tapped his foot at Rai. "Raimundo, where is Kimiko?"

"I called her, Mr. Dashi," said Rai. "I don't know where she is. KIMIKO!" he yelled again.

"I'm coming!" yelled an annoyed voice. Kimiko came into the smaller tent. She saw Dashi and bowed. "Mr. Dashi, I didn't know it was you that wanted me."

Dashi smiled and sat down. The other two followed suit. "Kimiko, you are 17," he started.

"Yes…" she answered.

"Dear Kimiko, how do you feel about getting married?"

Raimundo fell back in his chair. "Married!" he demanded.

Kimiko's face grew pale. "I don't want to."

"No!" yelled Rai. "She can't!"

"You have to start thinking about it, child," said Dashi, a sad smile on his face. "Prince Chase would like to marry you."

Rai whistled. "A prince. And a pretty good looking one at that."

"No finer," said Mr. Dashi, the smile growing. "What do you say? He'll be at the party tonight. Study him. Look into his eyes, for there in lays the true man. If you have him, you'll lose nothing."

"Yeah," said Rai. "You'll only gain. Girl, he's hot. And rich. And a prince. Can't get much better then that!"

Dashi gave him a 'shut up' look. "Just because you came out of the closet doesn't men we want to hear about it!" He then turned to Kimiko. "Can you accept his love?"

She grimaced. "I'll try. But not any more then you allow."

Dashi gave her a paternal smile. At that moment, Keiko walked into the tent. She looked haggled. "Sir, the guests are here, dinner is served, people are calling for you, people have asked for Kimiko, and people are cursing Rai."

"Why are they cursing me!" asked Rai, offended.

Keiko shrugged, and then turned back to Dashi. "Everything's out of control. I must go and serve the guests. Please, follow straight after me." She ducked back out of the tent.

He gave Kimiko a kiss on the head. "Come soon, okay?"

She nodded, and he donned his gold mask and left. She turned to Rai. "You heard the man," she sighed.

"Chica," said Rai, brandishing a hairbrush and placing his hands on his hips, "you ain't going out like that."

Kimiko smiled. "I love you, Rai." With that, she sat down and allowed her hair to be fixed.

End Flashback

"Storyteller, what happens next?" asked a little Spanish boy.

"Yes," said Faust. "I'm as curious as my brother."

The storyteller smiled. "Limon, Faust, look at the sky. Can you see the stars dotting it?" The boys nodded. "Then it is time I took my leave. You have another performance tomorrow, and you must be ready." He picked up his cane, which he used to support the bad leg he'd gotten in a fight long ago, and prepared to leave. "Little ones, I shall be back tomorrow. Care for yourselves, as I shall be watching over you." With that, he walked out.

Once he was outside, another graying man (though his hair was still firey) walked up to him. "He seems so sad and helpless?" The man grimaced. "I'm neither small nor helpless."

"Patience, Jack," said the storyteller, grinning. "I'm not done yet."


	3. Chapter 3

Fallonmarie3: Thank you! I'm becoming popular! (fans face) Oh! This is so unexpected!

Gingey: Yes, I thought Raimundo was gay since the very first time I saw this show. He's too pretty.

Linac428: Here ya go!

STORYTELLERSTORYTELLER

The storyteller walked again to the front of the room. He noticed that two of their numbers were missing. He turned to Faust and asked, "Where is Kagami and Rin?"

"Kagami fell," he explained, his face turning sad. "The net was there, but it wasn't very strong. It tried to break her fall, but…"

The storyteller placed a hand on his shoulder. "We will go to her." He motioned the children up and began to walk outside. He walked straight into the medical tent, where Kagami had a bandage on her head and her leg in a splint. When she saw them, she gasped.

"Storyteller, what are you doing here?"

He smiled. "You and Rin enjoy this story so, I couldn't bear to see you miss any of it." He ruffled Rin's hair and she smiled. He took a seat and asked, "Where did we leave off?"

"Kimiko was about to go into the party!" piped up a red-haired child.

"Right you are, Saoirse." He smiled at the Celtic child. "Well, Jack had decided to go with Gemini and Ashley to this party, too…"

Flashback

"I don't want to dance," said Jack, adjusting his black mask.

"You have to dance!" exclaimed Ashley, in her Mardi Gras colored mask. "It's a party!"

"You're the one with the dancing shoes," he muttered. They entered the big top and couldn't help but gasp. There were streams of lights hung up everywhere and there were streamers winding 'round the poles that held the tent up. In the first ring, the children were playing pin the tail on the donkey, in the second ring, there were tables of food, and in the third ring, and there were teenagers and older folk dancing the night away.

"You're a lover. Take cupid's wings and fly," whispered Gemini, pushing him out to the dance floor. With that, he adjusted his own mask, a dark blue one, and held his arm out to Ashley.

"Love is too rough!" yelled Jack before being swept away in the crowd of dancers.

"Play rough with love!" yelled Ashley.

"He's just being a stick in the mud," said Gemini. "We're wasting precious nightlight, let's dance, my dear!" he said, holding a hand out to Ashley. They danced for a while, and then took a seat on the risers. Jack saw them and joined them.

"It wasn't smart of us to go," said Jack, sullen.

"Why?" asked Gemini.

"I had a dream last night."

"So did I," said Ashley.

"What did your dream say?"

She laughed and replied, "It said dreamers often lie."

"They lie in bed and dream about the truth," countered Jack.

"I see Queen Mab's been with you," she said mystically.

"Who's Queen Mab?" asked Gemini perplexedly.

She gave them a cat-like smile and answered, "She's the fairies' midwife. She's no bigger than the stone on my ring. She rides around in a wagon drawn by tiny little atoms, and she rides over men's noses, as they lie sleeping. The spokes of her wagon are made of spiders' legs. The cover of her wagon is made of grasshoppers' wings. The harnesses are made of the smallest spider webs. The collars are made out of moonbeams. Her whip is a thread attached to a cricket's bone. Her wagon driver is a tiny bug in a gray coat; he's not half the size of a worm." She smiled again and said, "My mother told me about Queen Mab when I was very little. Her chariot is a hazelnut shell. It was made by a carpenter squirrel or an old grub worm; they've made wagons for the fairies as long as anyone can remember. In this royal wagon, she rides every night through the brains of lovers and makes them dream about love. She rides over dancers' knees, and they dream about dancing. She rides over lawyers' fingers, and right away, they dream about their fees. She rides over ladies' lips, and they immediately dream of kisses. Queen Mab often puts blisters on their lips because their breath smells like candy, which makes her mad. Sometimes she rides over a speechwriter's lips, and he dreams of making money off of someone. Sometimes she tickles a priest's nose with a dollar, and he dreams of a large donation. Sometimes she rides over a soldier's neck, and he dreams of cutting the throats of foreign enemies, of breaking down walls, of ambushes, of swords, and of enormous bottles of beer. And then, drums beat in his ear and he wakes up. He's frightened, so he says a couple of prayers and goes back to sleep. She is the same Mab who tangles the hair in horses' manes at night and makes the tangles hard in the dirty hairs, which bring bad luck if they're untangled. Mab is the old hag who gives false sex dreams to virgins and teaches them how to hold a lover and bear a child. She's the one—"

"Enough!" said Jack, looking scared. "Be quiet. You're talking nonsense."

"True!" said Ashley triumphantly. "I'm talking about dreams, which are the products of a brain that's doing nothing. Dreams are nothing but silly imagination, as thin as air, and less predictable than the wind!" She gave him a toothy smile. "No matter what your dream said, it means nothing."

Jack gave her an angry look. "You suck."

"On the contrary," said Gemini, looking amazed. "You're brilliant."

End Flashback

The children were rolling with laughter. "I like Ashley!" said Paolo.

"You would," said the storyteller happily. "She's very smart."

"Keep going! Keep going!" said Limon.

Flashback

The three imposters were still sitting there when a group of Calientas came over. "Welcome, gentlemen," said the leader of the group, obviously Dashi. "Why are you sitting by yourselves? These ladies would be happy to dance with you!" He turned to the ladies of the group. "Ladies, which of you will refuse to dance now? Whichever of you acts shy, I'll swear she's old. Does that hit close to home? There was a time when I could wear a mask over my eyes and charm a lady by whispering a story in her ear. That time is gone, gone, gone. You are welcome gentlemen. Come on, musicians, play music!" he demanded, and then waltzed off with an older woman, who was giggling. He switched partners every now and then.

At last, Jack spotted a woman on the arm of Dashi. She was much younger then he, and when he danced with her, he seemed to have a paternal, not romantic, glow about him.

"Who's that?" asked Jack, pointing to her. She was now dancing with a man about her age, yet anyone could tell that she and he had only a platonic relationship. He turned back to Ashley and Gemini, who shrugged. He looked at the woman, and said, "She teaches the lights to burn bright! Her beauty is too good for this world. She's like a dove in the middle of a flock of crows. I'm going to go dance with her. Excuse me." With that he ran out to the dance floor, leaving a stunned Gemini and Ashley behind him.

Another man, a blonde with blue eyes behind his tan mask, heard and saw him. "He's a Monatio," he said to himself. "What, does this dog of a man dare to come here with his face covered by a mask to sneer at and scorn our celebration? Now, by the honor of our circus, I do not consider it a crime to kill him."

Dashi saw the thunder in his eyes and ran over. "Why are you so angry, Clay? Calm down!"

"It's a Monatio, Mr. Dashi!" exclaimed Clay. "He's here!"

"Is it Jack?" asked Dashi.

"It is," said Clay sullenly. "You can tell by his hair. Redder then a rose in a hothouse."

Dashi smiled. "He's looking like a dignified man, and he has a reputation for being very well-behaved. I wouldn't insult him in my house. So, calm down and ignore him. That's what I want, and if you respect my wishes, you'll look a sight better because you'll have no frown on your face. It's not the right way to act."

"It is when a guy like him shows up!" he said, astonished at Dashi's words. "I won't tolerate it!"

Dashi's smile was replaced by an incredulous look. "You _will_ tolerate him. I say you will. What the—Am I the boss here or you? You won't tolerate him! God help me! You'll start a riot among my guests! There will be chaos!"

"But we're bein' disrespected!"

"You're an insolent boy," hissed Dashi. "Is that how it is, really? This stupidity will come back to bite you."

"The combination of forced patience and pure rage is making me shake," Clay hissed back. "I'll leave here now, but Jack's prank will turn bitter to him later." With that he stalked off.

Meanwhile…

Jack took Kimiko's hand to dance with him. "Your hand is like a holy place that my hand is unworthy to visit." He gave a little smile. "If you're offended by the touch of my hand, my two lips are standing here like blushing pilgrims, ready to make things better with a kiss."

"You don't give your hand enough credit," said Kimiko awkwardly. "By holding my hand you show polite devotion. After all, pilgrims touch the hands of statues of saints. Holding one palm against another is like a kiss."

Jack pouted. "Don't saints and pilgrim have lips too?"

"Lips to use in prayer!"

"Well then, let lips do what hands do. I'm praying for you to kiss me. Please grant my prayer so my faith doesn't turn to despair." Jack smiled.

"Saints don't move, even when they grant prayers."

"Then don't move while I enact my prayer," whispered Jack, and then captured her lips in his own. When they broke apart, he smiled. "Now my sin has been taken by you."

"Then do my lips now have the sin they took from yours?"

"Sin from my lips? You encourage crime with your sweetness. Give me my sin back," demanded Jack, and he kissed her again, this time longer and sweeter.

Kimiko smiled. "You kiss like you've studied how to."

At that moment, Rai, having seen everything and smiling, came over. "Kim, Dashi wants to see you." Kimiko moved away.

"Let me tell you, the man who marries her will become very wealthy," said Rai. "Dashi's dowry for her is huge!"

Jack turned away. "She's a Calienta? Oh, this is a heavy price to pay!"

Gemini walked over and put a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Come on, let's go. Right when things are winding down is the best time to leave." He began to lead the sad Jack away.

Dashi spotted them leaving. "Good night, gentlemen, I hope your time here was fun." The party was winding down, and people started to leave.

Kimiko turned to Rai. "Who's that? What's his name?" She pointed to Jack.

"I'll go find out." Rai rushed off.

Kimiko thought to herself, 'If he's married, I swear I'll kill him.'

Rai came back soon, a sad look on his face. "His name is Jack. He's a Monatio. He's the only protégé of your worst enemy."

"The only man I love is the protégé of Wuya! I saw him too early without knowing who he was, and I found out who he was too late! Love is a monster for making me fall in love with my worst enemy," she sobbed. Raimundo put a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"Chica, let's go. Everyone's leaving." And so they left too.

End Flashback

"That's not fair!" exclaimed Rin. "They have to fall in love!"

"They did, little Rin," said the storyteller. "But we will continue tomorrow. Kagami needs her sleep, as do you." He left the infirmary. When he was outside, he felt a little tug on his jacket. He looked down and saw Limon. "Yes, little one?"

"I really like your story," he said quietly. "I've heard it before though."

The storyteller smiled. "I thought so. Let the other children hear it, though."

"I will!" said Limon. "Thank you."


	4. Chapter 4

Fallonmarie3: I'll tell you what made me cry, your review. It seriously made me feel like I was Queen of the World. Thank you for always being so positive and supporting.

Digiwildfire: I too am very glad about that. However, I hope very much you like fluff.

Linac428: Thanks! Here you go!

STORYTELLERSTORYTELLER

The storyteller surveyed the children by Kagami's bedside. He saw her sister, Rin, Rin's friend, Limon, and Limon's brother, Faust. It was late afternoon. He spoke. "Little ones. I have brought the other children, so we might continue our story."

The bedside children looked up to see the other children coming behind the storyteller. They formed a circle around Kagami's bedside. The storyteller pulled a chair over and sat down, propping his cane up against the chair. Unable to contain his anticipation, Paolo yelled, "They just fell in love!"

The storyteller smiled. "Right you are, little one. Jack loved Kimiko with all his heart and soul, and she loved him back. Jack decided that she needed to know that…"

Flashback

Kimiko was aroused from her cart by a tapping at the window. She looked at her clock. It read 1:03. She groaned. Who could be waking her up this early?

She moved to the window and opened it. There, with no mask on, was the Monatio she'd kissed earlier, Jack. He gave her a little wave, and then cleared his throat. He looked into her eyes and said, "But wait, what's that light in the window over there? It is the east, and Kimiko is the sun. Rise up, beautiful sun, and kill the moon. The moon is already sick and pale with grief because you, Kimiko, her maid, are more beautiful than she. Two of the brightest stars in the whole sky had to go away on business, and they're asking her eyes to twinkle in their places until they return. The brightness of her cheeks outshines the stars the way the sun outshines a lamp. If her eyes were in the night sky, they would shine so brightly through space that birds would start singing, thinking her light was the light of day. Look how she leans her hand on her cheek. Oh, I wish I was the skin on that hand so that I could touch that cheek."

She blushed. "Thank you."

"She speaks!" exclaimed Jack. "Speak again!"

She held her hand out to him and he grasped it, stroking it with his thumb. "Oh, Jack, Jack, why do you have to be a Monatio? Forget about Wuya and change your circus. Or else, if you won't change your name, just swear you love me and I'll stop being a Calienta." She gave him a beautiful smile. "It's only your name that's my enemy. You'd still be yourself even if you stopped being a Monatio. What's a Monatio anyway? It isn't a hand, a foot, an arm, a face, or any other part of a man. Oh, be some other name! What does a name mean? The thing we call a rose would smell just as sweet if we called it by any other name. You would be just as perfect even if you weren't called Jack. Jack, lose your name. Trade in your name—which really has nothing to do with you—and take all of me in exchange."

"I trust you," whispered Jack. "Just call me your love, and I'll never be Jack again."

"Aren't you Jack?" she asked sadly. "Aren't you a Monatio?"

"I'm neither of those things if you don't like them," said Jack, smiling.

Kimiko blushed. "You are such a romantic. But, Jack, my circus will kill you if they find you here!"

"A man in love can do anything."

"If they see you, they'll murder you!"

"One angry look from you would be worse then all of them with swords. Just look at me kindly, and I'll be invincible to their anger."

"I'd give anything to keep them from seeing you here," she pleaded.

"It's dark," said Jack reassuringly. "If you love me, let them find me here. I'd rather die then live without you."

She smiled. "Who told you this was my cart?"

"Love showed me the way." He grinned. "I'm not a sailor, but I'd travel across the farthest sea to get to you."

"Do you love me? I know you'll say 'yes,' and I'll believe you. But if you swear you love me, you might turn out to be lying. Oh Jack, if you really love me, say it truly. Or if you think it's too easy and quick to win my heart, I'll frown and play hard-to-get, as long as that will make you try to win me, but otherwise I wouldn't act that way for anything. In truth, handsome Monatio, I like you too much, so you may think my behavior is loose. But trust me, gentleman, I'll prove myself more faithful than girls who act coy and play hard-to-get. I should have been more standoffish, I guess, but you heard me talking about the love in my heart. So excuse me, and do not assume that because you made me love you so easily my love isn't serious."

"By the moon," said Jack seriously, "I swear to you…"

"The moon is always changing!" said Kimiko. "Don't swear by the moon."

"What will I swear by, then?" he asked perplexedly.

"Swear by yourself, then I'll believe you," said Kimiko mischievously. The greatest swear you could make was the one on yourself.

"I swear," said Jack solemnly.

"Then, Jack, I have to go. You should, too."

"But, Kim, will you leave me so unsatisfied?" he pleaded.

"What satisfaction?"

"We need true promises of love."

"I pledged my love to you before you asked me to. Yet I wish I could take that promise back, so I had it to give again."

"You'd take it back? Why?"

"To give it again, I said!" She heard a noise from the front door. "Raimundo's coming! I'll be right back! Hide under the cart! Two seconds!" she cried, then went to get the door as Jack scrambled under the cart. True to her word, she came back. "Three words, Jack, and then it's good night for real. If your intentions as a lover are truly honorable and you want to marry me, send me word tomorrow. I'll send someone to you, and you can pass on a message telling me where and when we'll be married. I'll lay all my fortunes at your feet and follow you all over the world!"

"Kimiko!" asked Rai, tapping on the door.

"Be right there!" she called. "If your intentions are not honorable—"

"Kimiko!" Rai kept tapping on the door.

"Coming!" She turned to Jack. "If your intentions are not honorable, I beg you to stop trying for me and leave me to my sadness. Tomorrow I'll send the messenger."

"What about the three words?" asked Jack.

She smiled. "I love you." She then turned back and opened the door for Rai.

"Sleep peacefully, my love," said Jack happily, blowing her a kiss. He then walked off, humming to himself and revering how lucky he was.

End Flashback

"Why are you crying, Kagami?" asked Rin, poking her sister.

"It's so beautiful! He's so romantic. I wish there were more guys like that," she sobbed.

"Dry your tears, little one," said the storyteller, "for the story is not yet through. There was a priest traveling with Mr. Guan. His name was Father Fung, and he was neutral as well, though he seemed to favor the Calientas. He held church services on Sundays, and he could also marry people…"

Flashback

Jack entered the small, sparse tent that the priest inhabited. The priest had a book in front of him and his back was turned to Jack. "The smiling morning is replacing the frowning night," he said. "Darkness is stumbling out of the sun's path like a drunk man. Now, before the sun comes up and burns away the dew, I have to fill this basket of mine with poisonous weeds and medicinal flowers. The Earth is nature's mother and also nature's tomb. Plants are born out of the Earth, and they are buried in the Earth when they die. From the Earth's womb, many different sorts of plants and animals come forth, and the Earth provides her children with many excellent forms of nourishment. Everything nature creates has some special property, and each one is different. Herbs, plants, and stones possess great power. There is nothing on Earth that is so evil that it does not provide the earth with some special quality. And there is nothing that does not turn bad if it's put to the wrong use and abused. Virtue turns to vice if it's misused. Vice sometimes becomes virtue through the right activity." He turned to Jack and held up a little yellow flower. "Inside the little rind of this flower, there is both poison and powerful medicine. If you smell it, you feel good all over your body. But if you taste it, you die. There are two opposite elements in everything, in men as well as in herbs—good and evil. When evil is dominant, death soon kills the body like cancer." He smiled at Jack and put the flower down.

Jack crossed himself and bowed. "Good morning, Father."

Father Fung smiled. "God bless you." Jack smiled and rose. "Who greets me so early in the morning? Young man, something's wrong if you're getting out of bed this early. Young men should get to bed early and get plenty of sleep. Therefore, the fact that you're awake this early tells me you've been upset with some anxiety. If that's not the case, then this must be the answer: You, Jack, have not been to bed tonight."

"Your last guess ins right," Jack said sheepishly. "I enjoyed a sweeter rest then sleep last night."

Father Fung gasped. "May God forgive you if you've sinned!—Were you with Mimiene?"

"Mimiene? No, I've forgotten all about her. And before you ask again, I have not sinned."

"That's good, my son," said Father Fung, relieved. "But where have you been?"

"I have been feasting with my enemy," he said anxiously. Suddenly someone wounded me with love and was wounded with love by me. You have the sacred power to cure both of us. I carry no hatred, Father, because my request will benefit my enemy."

"Speak plainly," said Father Fung. "A jumbled confession can only result in jumbled absolution."

"I love Kimiko. I love her, and she loves me. We're bound to each other in every possible way, except we need you to marry us. I'll tell you more later about when and where we met, how we fell in love, and how we exchanged promises, but now I'm begging you: please, agree to marry us today." He fell on his knees and clasped his hands together.

Father Fung smacked himself on the head. "Holy Saint Francis, this is a drastic change! Have you given up so quickly on Mimiene, whom you loved so much? Then young men love with their eyes, not with their hearts. Jesus and Mary, how many tears did you cry for Mimiene? How many salty tear-drops did you waste salting a love you never tasted? The sun hasn't yet melted away the fog you made with all your sighs. The groans you used to make are still ringing in my old ears. There's still a stain on your cheek from an old tear that hasn't been washed off yet. If you were ever yourself, and this sadness was yours, you and your sadness were all for Mimiene. And now you've changed? Then repeat this after me: you can't expect women to be faithful when men are so unreliable," he chastised.

Jack crossed his arms across his chest and huffed, "You scolded me when I loved Mimiene."

Father Fung sighed. "I scolded you for obsessing, not for loving, my son."

"And you told me to bury my love!"

"I didn't tell you to replace one love with another!"

"Yeah, that was all Gemini and Ashley." He sighed. "Please, I beg you, don't scold me. The girl I love now returns my love. Mimiene did not love me."

"Oh, she knew very well that you were acting like you were in love without really knowing what love means," chuckled Father Fung. "But come on, inconsistent young man, come with me. I'll help you with your secret wedding. This marriage may be lucky enough to turn the hatred between your families into pure love."

"Let's get out of here," said Jack, ducking out of the tent. "I'm in a rush."

"Go wisely and slowly," said Father Fung, unfolding himself from his position on the floor and following Jack. "Those who rush stumble and fall."

End Flashback

"I like Father Fung," said Paolo.

"Thank you, my son," said the man changing Kagami's bandages. The children gasped. The man smiled and bowed to Paolo, who bowed back. "I enjoy this story."

"I'm telling it right, then, Father?" asked the storyteller.

Father Fung smiled at him. "You are telling it exactly right. No better then I could have done it myself."

"Thank you, Father."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Umm…hi. Did y'all miss me?

Jack: SHAME ON YOU! YOU'VE NOT BEEN UPDATING FOR ALMOST A MONTH! BOO!

A/N: I had school and crap, k? I'm updating now.

Jack: (grunt) H-uh. You're a liar. Your fanart central account says so.

A/N: …shut up.

Jack: Well, at least speak to your reviewers.

A/N: Okay.

Fallonmarie3: Ooh, thank you! I'm so happy.

Digiwildfire: You probably hate me for not updating for so long.

And now to the story!

STORYTELLERSTORYTELLER

"Where is the storyteller?" asked Limon the next day.

"I don't know," said Faust.

"Everyone!" screamed Rin, running into the tent. She was close to tears. "The storyteller is sick! He's dying!"

"No!" yelled Paolo. "We must go to him. He must finish the story!"

The children all came together and went to the storyteller's cart. They all clambered in. Kagami sat at the end of his bed and Rin sat on her lap. Faust sat on the floor with Limon on his lap. Paolo and Saoirse sat down next to each other. A little Turkish girl named Canan laid her head down in an African boy named Xola's lap. A Portuguese girl named Helena laid her head down on Xola's shoulder.

The storyteller looked around in surprise and coughed a dry cough. "Why are you children here?" he asked.

"We must hear the end of the story!" exclaimed Canan. "We need to."

"You were right," said an older woman in the back. "They really do like your story."

"I told you, Kimiko," said the storyteller.

"Please, continue." She sat down and smiled at the children.

"Father Fung just agreed to marry them, right?" asked the storyteller.

"Yes!" chorused the children.

"Well, not everyone wanted them to be together," said the storyteller with a chuckle.

Flashback 

"Where the hell is Jack?" said Ashley, her teeth chattering. She turned to Gemini. "Didn't he come home last night?" Gemini shook his head. Ashley spit on the ground. "That white-painted, hard-hearted hussy Mimiene is going to torment him until he goes insane."

"Clay's sent a message to Jack," replied Gemini bluntly.

Ashley sighed and elbowed Gemini. "I bet it's a challenge."

"I know," said Gemini sadly. "He'll answer it, too. He's just blind enough to do that."

"Oh, poor Jack! He's already dead," said Ashley, shaking her head. "He's been cut through the ear with a love song. The center of his heart has been split by blind Cupid's arrow. Is he stupid enough at this point to face off with Clay?"

"What's Clay's story?" asked Gemini, concerned. He'd never heard Ashley speak like this.

"He's tough as nails," said Ashley, chewing on her own. "He does everything by the book. He fights like you sing at a recital, paying attention to time, distance, and proportion. A master of duels. He's a gentleman from the finest school of martial arts, and he knows how to turn any argument into a fight. He knows _Charging Bear_—the forward thrust—the _Plowing Yak_—the backhand thrust—and the _Monkey Strike_—the thrust that goes straight through."

"He knows what?" asked Gemini, scratching his head. Martial arts were never a strong suit for him.

"I hate these crazy, affected guys who use foreign phrases and new expressions," said Ashley tersely, obviously angry at the funny names of these moves. "I hate their strange manners and their weird accents! Isn't this a sad thing, my good man? Why should we put up with these foreign buzzards, these fashionmongers, these guys who say 'pardon me,' these guys who care so much about manners that they can't kick back on a bench without whining, 'Oh, my aching bones!'" She spit on the ground again.

"…" replied Gemini. Suddenly, he spotted Jack. "Here comes Jack!" he cried, rather unnecessarily.

"He looks skinny, like a dried herring. O flesh, flesh, you've turned pale and weak like a fish," she antagonized. Jack spotted them and came over. She composed herself and said, "Hey, Jack. You faked us out pretty good last night."

"What do you mean I faked you out?" he asked.

"You gave us the slip."

"No, no, no," replied Jack. "I had important business."

"Uh-huh. Suuuure," replied Gemini.

"Look," whispered Jack, pointing. They looked and saw Raimundo looking for someone.

"Ooh, Ashley! It's one of your foreigners!" said Gemini, poking her playfully.

Rai spotted them and walked over. "Hello, all," he said.

"Hello, Raimundo," said Gemini.

Rai turned his attention to him. He scrutinized him for a minute. "What kind of a man are you?" he demanded suddenly.

Ever quick on the draw, Gemini replied, "I'm a man that God has made for himself to ruin."

"I swear, you speak the truth. 'For himself to ruin,' he says," said Rai, chuckling. He grew serious, however, and said, "Gentlemen, can any of you tell me where I can find young Jack?"

"I can tell you," said Jack, stepping forward, "but young Jack will be older when you find him than he was when you started looking for him. I am the youngest man by that name."

"You speak well," said Rai appreciatively. "If you're the Jack I'm looking for, I'd like to have a conference with you."

Gemini butted in. "Jack, are you going to Wuya's for lunch?"

"I'll go after you," replied Jack, shooting him a death glare.

"Okay, okay," he replied. He took Ashley's hand and led her off to Wuya's.

"Kimiko asked me to find you," said Raimundo when they were out of earshot. "What she asked me to say I'll keep to myself. But let me tell you this first. If you lead her into a fool's paradise, as the saying goes, it would be an outrageous crime because the girl is so young." He grabbed Jack by the collar and brought him nose to nose. "And if you try to trick her, it would be an evil thing to do to any woman and very poor behavior."

"Give my regards to Kimiko. I swear to you—" started Jack.

Rai let him down and smiled, patting his hand. "You have a good heart, and believe me, I'll tell her that. Lord, Lord, she'll be a happy woman."

"What'll you tell her?" asked Jack anxiously.

"I'll tell her that you propose to her, which I think is the gentlemanly thing to do," said Rai, smiling mischievously.

"Tell her to devise a plan to get out of her house and come to confession at the abbey this afternoon. At Father Fung's cell she can make confession and be married." Jack pressed a few coins into his hand. Rai looked questioningly at Jack, then down at the coins. "Here is a reward for your efforts."

"No, really, I can't," said Rai, looking up at him.

"I insist," said Jack, wrapping his fingers around the coins.

"This afternoon," said Rai, pocketing the coins. "I promise."

Jack considered for a moment, then confided, "Within an hour, one of my men will come to you behind the abbey wall and give you a rope ladder. I'll use the rope ladder to climb over the walls at night and meet Kimiko joyfully and in secret. Be honest and helpful, and I'll repay you for your efforts. Goodbye. Sing my praises to your mistress."

"Hold up," said Rai, touching his arm. "Can the man you'll send keep a secret? Haven't you ever heard the saying, 'Two can conspire to put one away'?"

"This man is as true as steel," said Jack. He smiled. "He's my brother."

"Well, Kimiko is the sweetest lady," said Rai, smiling fondly. "There is one nobleman in the valley, a guy named Chase, who would be happy to claim her as his own. Kimiko would rather look at a toad than at him.," Rai said frankly. He chuckled. "I make her angry sometimes by saying that Chase is more handsome than you are. She says the most beautiful things about you. It would be good for you to hear the things she says."

"Give my compliments to Kimiko."

"A thousand times over," said Rai, walking off.

End Flashback 

"And so, the two lovers were married," finished the storyteller. "I can't tell you that part, because I wasn't there and no one would tell me what happened." He smiled at Kimiko.

"Aww…how romantic!" sighed Rin, Saoirse, Canan, Helena, and Kagami.

"So they all lived happily ever after, right?" said Paolo hopefully.

The storyteller sighed. "Not quite, little Paolo. This marriage was bound to cause controversy."

Flashback 

"I'm begging you, Ashley, let's call it a day," said Gemini, dropping to his knees in the snow and grasping her hand. "It's cold outside, and the Calientas are wandering around. If we bump into them, we'll certainly get into a fight. When it's cold outside, people become angry and cold-blooded." He made a puppy-dog face.

"You're like one of those guys who walks into a bar, slams his sword on the table, and then says, 'I pray I never have to use you.' By the time he orders his second drink, he pulls his sword on the bartender for no reason at all!" said Ashley, pulling him up.

"Am I really that bad? I mean, really?" asked Gemini, putting his hand to his chest, mock-offended.

"Come on, you can be as angry as any guy in Italy when you're in the mood," said Ashley, punching him playfully. "When someone does the smallest thing to make you angry, you get angry. And when you're in the mood to get angry, you find something to get angry about."

"And what about that?" said Gemini indignantly.

"If there were two men like you, and I mean like you, not look like you, pretty soon there'd be none because the two of you would kill each other. You'll fight with a man who's eating cherries just because you have cherry-colored eyes. Only you would look for a fight like that. You started a fight with a man who coughed in the street because he woke up a dog that was sleeping in the sun. Didn't you argue it out with the costumer for wearing one of his new suits before the right season? And with another for tying the new shoes he made with old laces? They never let you back in!" said Ashley. "And yet you're the one who wants to teach me about restraint!"

"Shush!" exclaimed Gemini, clapping a hand over her mouth. "Here comes Clay."

Ashley bit him. As he held his hand in pain, she sneered, "Let him come."

"Howdy," said Clay, tipping his hat to them. "I'd like to have a word with one of you."

"You just want one word with one of us?" asked Ashley incredulously. "Put it together with something else. Make it a word and a blow."

"You'll find me ready enough to do that if you give me a reason," replied Clay slowly and scarily. Gemini whimpered and hid behind Ashley. Clay composed himself and added, "You hang out with Jack."

"'Hang out?'" said Ashley angrily. "Who do you think we are, musicians in a band? If we look like musicians to you, you can expect to hear nothing but noise." She touched the handle of her whip. "This is my fiddlestick. I'll use it to make you dance. Goddammit—'Hang out!'" She spit on the ground.

"Nasty habit, really, Ashley, for a lady," said Gemini. He turned to Clay and said, "We're talking here in a public place. We can go someplace private, or talk it over rationally, or else just go away. Out here everybody can see us."

"Hey, what's up," said Jack, running over. He had seen his twin cowering and decided to check it out.

"The man of the hour!" said Clay. He poked him in the chest and snarled, "Jack, there's only one thing I can call you. You're a nasty piece of work."

"Clay, I have a reason to love you that lets me put aside the rage I should feel and excuse that insult," said Jack, bowing formally. "I am not a 'nasty piece of work'. So, goodbye. I can tell that you don't know who I am."

Clay grabbed him by the collar and said, "Boy, your words can't excuse the harm you've done to me." He let him down slowly. "So now turn and let's fight!"

"I've never done you harm," protested Jack. "I love you like a bother until you know the reason why I love you. And so, Calienta—which is a name I love like my own name—you should be satisfied with what I say."

"This calm submission is disgraceful and low," spat Ashley, pulling out her whip. "The thrust of a hand will end this surrender. Clay, you hick, will you fight me?"

"No," said Jack, putting her hand down. "This is my fight."

At that moment, Clay reached under Jack with his lasso and tripped Ashley. She snagged her arm on a thorn bush on the way down. "I don't normally fight girls," said Clay, "but for you, I'll make an exception." He then strode off.

"Ashley!" cried Gemini, dropping down beside her. "Are you okay?"

"It's a scratch, just a scratch," she protested. It was not just a scratch, it was definitely a gash.

"But it's enough," replied Gemini. One of the Monatios had seen it and ran for a doctor.

"Have courage, man. It can't be that bad," said Jack, looking worriedly at the wound.

"No, it's not as deep as a well, or as wide as a church door," she started.

"…but it's enough. It'll do the job," finished Gemini.

"I can't believe that dog, that rat, that mouse could trip me! That bragging, punk 'nasty piece of work' who fights like he learned lassoing from a manual!" She turned to Jack. "Why the hell did you come in between us? He struck me from under your arm."

"I thought it was the right thing to do," said Jack sheepishly.

"Forget it," said Ashley. Gemini helped her up and they walked off to her cart.

"Ashley, a close friend of Chase and my dear friend, was hurt while defending me from Clay's slander—Clay, who had been my cousin for a whole hour!" said Jack exasperatedly. "Oh, Kimiko, your beauty has made me weak like a woman, and you have softened my bravery, which before was as hard as steel."

Gemini came back over to Jack. "She'll be okay. It's bad, but she'll recover," he said with a smile on his face.

"The future will be affected by today's terrible events," said Jack darkly. "Today is the start of a terror that will end in the days ahead." Clay started coming back. Jack clenched his fists so hard that a vein seemed to pop out of his gloves. "He's victorious, and Ashley's hurt? Enough with mercy and consideration." He pulled out a sword he used to balance on the tightrope. "It's time for rage to guide my actions." He walked over to Clay and poked him in the chest. "Now, Clay, you can call me 'nasty piece of work' the way you did before! Ashley's in the sick cart with a horrible gash. She's waiting for you to keep her company in the sick cart. Either you, or I, or both of us have to go with her."

"Wretched boy," started Clay, pulling out a sword he used in his act, "you hung out with her here, and you're going to go to that cart with her."

"This fight will decide," said Jack venomously.

It was a bloody and glorious fight. Jack made the first move, thrusting at Clay. Clay easily dodged it and made a thrust to Jack's side. Jack crossed Clay, Clay crossed Jack. So far, they were matching each other blow for blow. Clay jabbed, Jack parried, and through that parry, Jack was able to kick Clay in the back and get him down. Clay spit out some snow and tried to jump up, and Jack went for his pant leg. Jack missed. Slowly, ever so slowly, the blade slid through Clay's leg. Clay let out a cry of pain and defeat, and Jack hurriedly took the blade from Clay's leg.

"I didn't—" he started to say. His weapon clattered to the ground. He hadn't meant for this to happen.

"Run, Jack, run!" cried Gemini. Jack ran.

Guan ran over. "The man who hurt Ashley, which way did he go? Clay, that dog, which way did he run?"

"Clay is lying over there," said Gemini dejectedly.

"Good lord!" said Guan. "Who started this?" A pair of doctors rushed over to help Clay.

"I can tell you everything about the unlucky events of this fight," said Gemini, deciding to do the right thing. "Over there Clay is lying, probably permanently maimed. He hurt Ashley, and then my twin Jack got him."

"Clay was my nephew!" said Dashi sadly. "He was my brother's adopted son! Guan, nephew! Oh, my nephew is disfigured! Guan, you are a man of honor, take revenge for this maiming by killing someone from the Monatio circus."

"Who started this fight?" demanded Guan again.

"Clay started the fight before he was hurt by Jack. Jack spoke to Clay politely and told him how silly this argument was," said Gemini angrily. "He mentioned that you would not approve of the fight. He said all of this gently and calmly, bowing out of respect. But he could not make peace with Clay, who was in an angry mood and wouldn't listen to talk about peace. Clay and Ashley began to spit insults at each other fiercely, lunging at one another and dodging each other's insult. Jack said to stop, then he jumped in between them and forced them to put their words down. But Clay reached under Romeo's arm and tripped Ashley. Then Clay fled the scene, but pretty soon he came back to meet Jack, who was overcome with the desire for revenge. As quick as lightning, they started fighting. Before I could break up the fight, Clay was hurt. Jack ran away when Clay fell. I'm telling you the truth, I swear on my life," said Gemini, crossing his heart and gulping.

"Gemini is part of the Monatio circus," said Dashi angrily. "His loyalties to the Monatios make him tell lies. He's not telling the truth. There were twenty Monatios fighting in this awful riot, and together those twenty could only kill one man. I demand justice." He rounded on Guan. "You, Guan, are the man who can give me justice. Jack hurt Clay. Jack must die."

"Listen to yourself, man!" roared Guan. "Jack hurt Clay. Clay hurt Ashley. Who should pay the price for Ashley's arm?"

"Not Jack!" cried Wuya, who'd come over during Gemini's monologue. "He was Ashley's friend. His crime did justice's job by hurting Clay."

"And for that crime, Jack is hereby exiled from the Valley," decreed Guan. "I'm involved in your rivalry. Ashley was my friend, and he lies hurt because of your bloody feud. I'll punish you so harshly that you'll regret causing me this loss. I won't listen to your pleas or excuses. You can't get out of trouble by praying or crying, so don't bother. Tell Jack to leave the city immediately, or else, if he is found, he will be killed. Take Clay to the sick tent, and do what I say." He sighed and buried his head in his hands. "I don't want to do this, but I have no choice. Showing mercy by pardoning fighters only causes more fights."

End Flashback 

"So, did Clay live?" whispered Paolo.

"He did," replied the storyteller, "but he could never walk right again." He fondly patted the top of his cane.

"You're Clay?" asked Rin.

"Mm-hm," said Clay.

"You were a real hot head," said Kagami, giggling.

"Yeah, like a true Texan," countered Clay with a grin.

"I should probably get going," said Kimiko, standing up.

"Aw, c'mon, now!" said Clay. "Don't you wanna hear the end of the story?"

"I've already heard it," she replied, smiling. Then, like a breeze, she went out the door.

"G'bye, then," said Clay grumpily.

"We still wanna hear it!" cried Limon.

"Well, okay," said Clay. "Let's hear it."

* * *

And now you have to wait. To see my pride and jay of sotory-writing, see http/ 


	6. Chapter 6

Fallonmarie3: Your reviews are the ones I most look forward to. They make me feel happy inside.

STORYTELLERSTORYTELLER

"How bad'd it hurt?" asked Limon.

"Bad," replied Clay.

"So Jack just ran off? What a coward!" exclaimed Xola.

"I am not a coward!" yelled a voice outside the card. A red-haired, pale-skinned man entered. At Clay's smile, he said, "Kim said you were telling our story."

"Well, go ahead and listen. I was getting to Rai breaking Kim the news."

"Ooh, I like that part!" said Jack, excitedly plopping down on the floor.

Flashback

"When the night comes and everyone goes to sleep, Jack will leap into my arms, and no one will know," said Kimiko, looking out of the window into the piling snow. "Come, night. Come, Jack. You're whiter than snow on the black wings of a raven."

Suddenly, her door sprang open and revealed Rai, shaking the snow out of his brown hair. He was holding the rope ladder that Kimiko and Jack had used the previous night to get to the 'abbey'. His face seemed wet, but frozen.

"Why do you look so upset?" asked Kimiko, touching his frozen locks. "Did your gravity-defying hair refuse to behave this morning?"

"Oh, it's a sad day! He's gone. He's gone. He's gone! We're ruined, Kim, we're ruined!" He grabbed Kimiko by the shoulders and began shaking her. "He's gone. He's been hurt. He's gone!"

Fearing the worst, Kimiko assumed it was Jack Rai was talking about. "Can God be so jealous and hateful?" wailed Kimiko. "He wanted his angel back!"

Trying to get Kim's words straight, Rai replied, "Jack is hateful, even though God isn't." Rai started crying again and stumbled to a stop on Kimiko's bed. "Oh, Jack, Jack, who ever would have thought it would be Jack?" He seemed to be talking to himself more than Kimiko now.

"What kind of devil are you to torture me like this?" wailed Kimiko. "This is as bad as the tortures of hell. Has Jack killed himself? Just say 'Yes' and I will turn more poisonous than the snake with the evil eye. I will no longer be myself if you tell me Jack killed himself. If he's been killed, say 'Yes.' If not, say 'No.' These short words will determine my joy or my pain."

Still talking to himself, Rai replied, "I saw the wound. I saw it with my own eyes. God bless that wound, here on his leg. A pitiful leg, a bloody, pitiful leg. Pale as ashes and drenched in blood. All the dried blood was so gory. I fainted when I saw it."

"Oh, my heart is breaking," said Kimiko. "Oh, my poor heart is breaking. I'll give my vile body back to the earth. I'll never move again. My body and Jack's will lie together in one sad coffin."

"Oh, Clay, Clay, he was the best friend I had," said Rai. "Oh, polite Clay, he was a true gentleman. I wish I had not lived long enough to see him so hurt."

"What?" exclaimed Kimiko. "Has Jack been killed, and is Clay hurt too? Clay was my dearest friend. Jack was even dearer to me as my husband. Let the trumpets play the song of doom, because who can be alive if those two are gone?"

Kimiko's words finally seemed to register on Rai. He shook his head and turned to Kimiko. "Clay is hurt, and Jack has been banished. Jack hurt Clay, and his punishment was banishment."

"Oh God, did Jack's hand spill Clay's blood?" demanded Kimiko.

"It did," said Rai glumly.

"Oh, he's like a snake disguised as a flower!" said Kimiko, suddenly angry with Jack. "Did a dragon ever hide in such a beautiful cave? I hate him, yet he seemed the most wonderful man. He's turned out to be the exact opposite of what he seemed. Oh, nature, why did you put the soul of a criminal in the perfect body of a man? Was there ever such an evil book with such a beautiful cover? Oh, I can't believe the deepest evil lurked inside something so beautiful!"

"There is no trust, no faith, no honesty in men," said Rai, patting her on the shoulder. "All of them lie. All of them cheat. They're all wicked. These griefs, these pains, these sorrows make me old. Shame on Jack!" he finished with a flourish of his hand.

He had obviously said something wrong. Kimiko turned on him, fire in her eyes, and said, "I hope sores cover your tongue for a wish like that! He was not born to be shameful." She sat down sadly again. "Shame doesn't belong with Jack. He deserves only honor, complete honor. Oh, I was such a beast to be angry at him." She buried her head in her hands.

"Are you going to say good things about the man who crippled your friend?" demanded Rai incredulously.

"Am I supposed to say bad things about my own husband?" she said exasperatedly, looking up at him with tired eyes. "But why, Jack, did you cripple my friend? Probably because Clay would have killed my husband." She pulled out a handkerchief and patted the corners of her eyes with it. "I'm not going to cry," she told herself. "I would cry with joy that Jack is alive, but I should cry tears of grief because Clay is hurt. My husband, who Clay wanted to kill, is alive. Clay, who wanted to kill my husband, is crippled. All this is comforting news. Why, then, should I cry?" She sighed. "But…that banishment is worse than the murder of ten thousand Clays. Clay's news would be bad enough if that was all. It would have been better if, after you'd said, 'Clay's hurt,' and that my mother or my father, or both, were gone. That would have made me make the normal cries of sadness. But to say that Clay's hurt and then say, 'Jack has been banished.'" She finished and sighed again. "Where's Dashi, Rai?"

"Worrying about Clay," replied Jack. "Are you going to join him? I'll bring you there."

"Is he washing out Clay's wounds with his tears? I'll cry my tears for Jack's banishment when their tears are dry." She took Rai's hand and pulled him up, handing him the ladder in the process.

"I'll find Romeo to comfort you," said Rai, pulling her other hand into his in a very comforting gesture. "I know where he is. Listen, Jack will be here tonight. I'll go to him. He's hiding out in Father Fung's tent."

"Thank you, Rai," said Kimiko, pulling him into a tight hug. She pressed a ring into his hand and said, "Give this to Jack." He left the cart and she yelled after him. "Hurry!"

End Flashback

"Aw, she really said that?" asked Jack from the back of the room.

"Yes, Jack, I got it firsthand from Rai," replied Clay.

"Yes, Jack, firsthand from me," said a taller man silhouetted in the doorway. He shut the door and folded his legs gracefully under himself. He had long-ish brown hair and a tanned, muscular body.

"Come to listen, have you?" asked Jack, playfully punching him.

"Keep on keeping on, Clay," said Rai, looking up at him excitedly.

"Okay, Rai," said Clay, grinning. "Well, Jack was hiding out in Father Fung's tent."

Flashback

"Hide!" whispered Father Fung. Jack crawled under the table and Father Fung answered the ringing of the bell he kept outside his tent for visitors. He opened it and saw Raimundo, Kimiko's friend, standing there. "Yes?" he asked, hoping to get him away.

"M-M-May I p-please come in?" Rai chattered. "I c-come from K-K-Kimiko."

"Come in, then," said Father Fung, draping a blanket around him and steering him into a chair.

"Oh, holy Friar, where is Kimiko's husband?" said Rai, shaking. He sneezed and looked up at Father Fung again. "Where's Jack?"

"Under the table," said Father Fung, lifting up the cloth to reveal Jack in a very undignified position. He tumbled out and wiggled a few fingers at Rai in greeting.

"Oh, he's acting just like Kimiko, just like her," said Rai, shaking with laughter. "She's lying on the ground just like him, blubbering and weeping, weeping and blubbering. For Kimiko's sake, for her sake, stand up."

Jack did as he was told, brushing himself off in the process. "How is she?" he asked anxiously. "Does she think that I'm a practiced murderer because I hurt one of her close friends? Where is she? How is she doing?" The questions fired off before Rai had a chance to answer.

"She just cries and cries," said Rai, all traces of his previous laughter gone. "She falls on her bed and then starts to get up. Then she calls out Clay's name and cries 'Jack,' and then she falls down again."

"She's calling out my name as if I were a bullet hurting her, just like I hurt her friend," Jack moaned, collapsing to the ground. "Tell me, Friar, in what part of my body is my name embedded? Tell me, so I can cut it out of myself." He pulled out a dagger he used to balance on his nose during his high-wire act to emphasize his point.

"Hold on, and don't act out of desperation," said Father Fung, tossing his knife aside. He took Jack by the shoulders and demanded, "Are you a man? You look like a man, but your tears make you look like a woman. Your wild actions resemble the irrational fury of a beast. You have amazed me. I swear by my holy order, I thought you were smarter and more rational than this. Have you hurt Clay? Will you kill yourself? And would you also kill your wife, who shares your life, by committing the sin of killing yourself? Why do you complain about your birth, the heavens, and the earth? Life is the union of soul in body through the miracle of birth, but you would throw all that away. You bring shame to your body, your love, and your mind. Your body is just a wax figure, without the honor of a man. The love that you promised was a hollow lie. You're killing the love that you vowed to cherish. Your mind, which aids both your body and your love, has mishandled both of them. Get up, man!" He took his hand and pulled him to his feet. "Your Kimiko is alive. It was for her that you were almost killed earlier. Be happy that she's alive. Clay wanted to kill you, but you got him. Be happy that you're alive. The law that threatened your life was softened into exile. Be happy about that. Your life is full of blessings. You have the best sorts of happiness to enjoy. But like a misbehaved, sullen girl, you're whining about your bad luck and your love. Listen, listen, people who act like that die miserable. Go be with your love, as it was decided at your wedding. But get out of there before the night watchmen take their positions. Then you will escape to the city of Heylin, where you'll live until we can make your marriage public and make peace between your families. We'll ask Chase to pardon you. Then we'll welcome you back with twenty thousand times more joy than you'll have when you leave this town crying." He turned to Rai. "Go ahead, Raimundo. Give my regards to Kimiko, and tell her to hurry everybody in the house to bed. I'm sure they're all so sad that they'll be ready to sleep. Jack is coming."

Rai looked at Father Fung gratefully. "I could stay here all night listening to such good advice." He then turned to Jack. "I'll tell Kimiko you'll come."

Raimundo carefully folded up Father Fung's blanket and laid it over the back of the chair he'd been sitting in. Then, he remembered Kimiko's ring. He pulled it out of his pocket and said, "This is a ring she asked me to give you." Jack took it and put it on a thin piece of rope. He hung it around his neck and Rai said, "Hurry up, it's getting late." He then left the tent.

"Now get out of here," said Father Fung. "Good night. Everything depends on this: either be out of here before the night watchmen take their positions, or leave in disguise after daybreak. Take a little vacation in Heylin. I'll find Gemini, and he'll update you now and then on your case as it stands here. It's late. Farewell."

"I'm off to experience the greatest joy of all, but still it's sad to leave you in such a rush. Farewell," replied Jack, bowing to him. He then crept out of the tent and to his love.

While going there, he happened to pass Dashi's cart. Two voices were wafting out, one was Dashi's, but the other was Kimiko's suitor, Prince Chase. Jack stopped to listen to their conversation.

"Things have turned out so unluckily, sir, that we haven't had time to convince my Kimi to marry you," said Dashi.

'Haha,' thought Jack. 'She's already married.'

"Listen, she loved her Clay dearly, and so did I," Dashi continued. "It's very late, she won't be coming downstairs tonight. Believe me, if you weren't here visiting me, I myself would have gone to bed an hour ago."

"These times of pain are bad times for romance," replied Chase in a silky voice. "I won't keep you. Give my regards to your daughter."

"I will," replied Dashi, "and I'll find out what she thinks about marriage early tomorrow. Tonight she is shut up in her room, alone with her sadness." There was a pause, then Jack heard, "Sir Paris, I'll make a desperate argument for my child's love. I think she'll do what I say. No, I think she'll do all that and more. I have no doubt about it. I'll, visit her in her cart before I go to bed. Tell her about your love for her. And tell her, listen to me, on Wednesday—Wait—What day is today?"

"Monday," said Jack and Chase together.

"Monday! Ha, ha!" said Dashi. "Well, Wednesday is too soon. Let it be on Thursday. On Thursday, I'll tell her she'll be married to you." His words came out in a rush now, firing off question after question. "Will you be ready? Do you think it's a good idea to rush? We shouldn't have too big a celebration—we can invite a friend or two. Listen, because Clay was just hurt, people might think that we don't care about him as our relative if we have too grand a party. Therefore we'll have about half a dozen friends to the wedding, and that's it. What do you think about Thursday?"

"I only wish it were tomorrow," replied Chase in a happier tone.

"Well go on home. Thursday it is, then. I'll visit Kimiko before I go to bed. Get her ready for her wedding day. Farewell, Prince Chase." Jack heard the creaking of the floorboards as Dashi walked Chase to the door. "Now I'm off to bed. Oh my!" Jack heard Dashi stifle a yawn. "It's so late that we might as well call it early. Good night."

Little did Dashi know, as soon as Chase was out the door, Jack heard him cackle, "Now, Kimiko will be my bride next to me as I rule the world, so was decreed by the prophecy. I must marry a beautiful girl before Friday, and Mimiene shunned me, so Kimiko it must be." Jack's heart froze as he heard Chase's evil laughter ring out as he crunched his way back to his tent.

End Flashback

"He was nothing but a low-down, two-faced, dirty snake-in-the-grass," finished Clay.

"Yes, yes he was," said Jack.

"I thought he really liked her, too!" said Canan.

"No," said Jack, "I was the only one that held that honor."

"No kidding," grumbled Rai. "All you'd ever do is talk, talk, talk about her, yak, yak, yak, you'd never stop! I got really sick of it."

"Why, you!" cried Jack, ready to pounce.

The children stifled laughter. Two grown men, arguing like little kids…! The sight alone was enough to make them crack up.

"You know, If y'all keep fighting, I might not finish the story," said Clay.

Jack and Rai looked at each other, then Rai grumbled, "All right, all right, we'll behave."

"Good," said Clay, "because this story ain't over yet…"


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I'm sooooo incredibly sorry I took so long to update. Writing these stories take hours I didn't have because I was in a play (The Outsiders). However, I am now clear of schedule, so I can finish it up! Reviewers:

Fallonmarie3: Thank you so much!

Dramaqueen20000: Wow, I love your little convos. Those are so fun to both read and write.

Kaboot: When I first watched XS, the first thing I said when I saw Rai was, "He is so gay." I simply had to incorporate that.

Jack's Obsessed Fangirl: "Too-much-suspense-from-SOMEWHAT-lazy-fanfc-authers-that-take-too-long-making-you-go-bald disorder"?! Noo! That disiese is terrible! Here! tosses new chapter to you Now grow that hair back!

A/N: I heart my reviewers.

STORYTELLERSTORYTELLER

"So you stayed with her all night?" asked Kagami, turning to Jack.

"All night," he said happily.

"That's so sweet!" said Kagami, sighing girlishly.

"I'd stay with you all night if you asked me to," mumbled Faust so softly that only Clay and Limon could hear him.

Clay smiled. "Patience, Faust, she'll come around," he said comfortingly before coughing again. "Now," he said in a louder tone, "Jack did stay all night, but you must remember that Dashi still believed she loved Chase."

Flashback

"I love you, Jack," said Kimiko, burying her head in his shoulder. "Thanks for coming to me." He'd stayed with her all night, talking to her, kissing her, even braiding her hair at one point. He kissed her now.

"Least I could do," he replied. "I love you, too."

A rock tapped her window. Annoyed, Kimiko stood up and opened it. There was Rai, freezing his nose off. He looked calm enough. "Kimi!" he said. His cracking, panicked voice betrayed his stature. "Dashi is coming to your cart. Day has broken. Be careful. Watch out," he pleaded.

"One more kiss," said Jack. Kimiko crossed to him and kissed him as he'd asked.

"Now go," she said, pushing him out the back door. She smiled and sang a few lines of her favorite song to herself. "_I'd like to swim in a clear blue stream where the water is icy cold,  
__Then go to town in a golden gown and have my fortune told_."

A pair of yellow hands covered her eyes. "Guess who," said the playful, smiling voice. "I'll give you a hint. It starts with D and ends with –ashi."

"Hey, Mr. Dashi," said Kimiko, removing the hands from her eyes and half-smiling up at the taller man. Rai was standing behind him, a glum look on his face.

Dashi took on a concerned look. "Kimi, will you cry about Clay forever?" He tipped up her chin with his finger. "You couldn't bring his leg back. So stop crying." He wiped away a tear that had begun to trickle down her face with his thumb. A light lit his eyes, like he'd come to some conclusion. "You're weeping not for him as much as for the fact that the criminal who killed him is still alive."

"He's no criminal," Kimiko whispered. She raised her voice so Dashi could hear her and said, "May God pardon him! I do, with all my heart. And yet no man could make my heart grieve like he does."

"We'll have revenge for it. Don't worry about that. Stop crying. I'll send a man to Heylin, where that exiled rogue is living. Our man will poison Jack's drink."

"No, please, Dashi," begged Kimiko. "Let the police take care of him."

"Fine," said Dashi, mock-put out. His eyes lit up again. "I have good news, Kimi!"

"And it's good to have joy in such a joyless time," sighed Kim.

"Indeed, my child, with Father Fung early Thursday morning, the gallant, young, and noble gentleman Prince Chase will happily make you a joyful bride," said Dashi, sweeping his arm out.

"He will not make me a joyful bride there!" said Kim, hurt. "This is a strange rush. How can I marry him? I won't marry yet. And, when I do marry, I swear, it will be Jack, whom I know you hate, rather than Chase."

There was a long pause. Dashi slowly lowered his arms. Kimiko clapped her hands over her mouth. "What?" said Dashi carefully.

"I mean," said Kimiko, rushing, "that I'll marry someone you hate to make you mad than someone I don't know."

"Aren't you grateful for what I've done?" asked Dashi, recovering. Clearly, this wasn't the reaction he was expecting. "You live a simple circus life. Don't you want something more?"

"No," said Kimiko simply. "But I am thankful that you have found it. I can never be proud of what I hate. But I can be thankful for something I hate, if it was meant with love. Dashi, I'm begging you on my knees, be patient and listen to me say just one thing."

"Forget about you, you worthless girl!" yelled Dashi. Dashi rarely lost his temper, but when he did, he really lost it. "You disobedient wretch! I'll tell you what. Go to Fung on Thursday or never look me in the face again. Don't say anything. Don't reply. Don't talk back to me." He backhanded her across the face and she crumpled to the ground. Rai ran to her side, hugging her as she cried. Dashi towered over them, anger flashing in his eyes. The carefree Dashi of earlier was gone. "I never thought myself blessed that God only gave me this one child. But now I see that this one is one too many. I was cursed when I got you. You disgust me!"

"O deus no o céu sorriso sobre o!" Rai whispered to Kimiko. He looked up at Dashi. "Dashi, you're wrong to shout at her like this."

"Shut up!" yelled Dashi. A sneer took his face and he said, "Day and night, hour after hour, all the time, at work, at play, alone, in company, my top priority has always been to find you a husband. Now I've provided a husband from a noble family, who is good-looking, young, well-educated. He's the man of any girl's dreams. But you, this wretched, whimpering fool, like a whining puppet, you look at this good fortune and answer, 'I won't get married. I can't fall in love. I'm too young. Please, excuse me.' Well, if you won't get married, I'll excuse you. Eat wherever you want, but you can no longer live in this circus. Consider that. Think about it. I'm not in the habit of joking. Thursday is coming. Put your hand on your heart and listen to my advice. If you act like my daughter, I'll marry you to my friend. If you don't act like my daughter, you can beg, starve, and die in the streets. I swear on my soul, I will never take you back or do anything for you. Believe me. Think about it." He turned on his heel and stormed out.

"Oh God!" whimpered Kimiko, curling into Rai's lap. She had several long scratches across her cheek from the rings Dashi was wearing. Rai pulled a cloth from a drawer and held it to her cheek, crying with her. Finally, she looked up at him and asked, "Oh Rai, how can this be stopped? I can't tell Dashi about Jack. Look what he did when I refused to marry Chase. My husband is alive on earth, my vows of marriage are in heaven. How can I bring those promises back down to earth, unless my husband sends them back down to me by dying and going to heaven?"

"I don't know," said Rai, wrapping his arms around her. "I simply don't know."

End Flashback

"That's horrible!" cried Paolo. "Why did he hit her?!"

"Good question," said a voice at the door. "I don't know myself." The speaker was an old man, with wrinkles and everything, but he still carried himself quite dignifiedly. Jack and Rai scrambled up to bow at him and Clay inclined his head. "Thank you, young ones," he said before taking a seat on a chair near Clay's bed.

"Children, this is the owner of our circus, Mr. Dashi," said Clay formally.

"You hit Kimiko!" said Paolo, angrily bouncing up. "That wasn't nice!"

"I know," Dashi sighed, "and I regret it every day."

This seemed to satisfy Paolo and he sat down. However, Rin said, "But, surely Father Fung would stop this, right?"

"He'd try," said Clay.

Flashback

"On Thursday?" asked Father Fung worriedly. "That's quite soon."

"That's how my future father-in-law Dashi wants it," replied Chase calmly, "and I'm not about to drag my feet."

"You say you don't know what the girl thinks," countered Father Fung. "That's a rocky road to be riding. I don't like it."

"She's grieving too much over Clay," said Chase dismissively, "so I haven't had the chance to talk to her about love. Her father thinks it's dangerous that she allows herself to become so sad. He's being smart by rushing our marriage to stop her from crying. If she had someone to be with her, she would stop crying. That's the reason for the rush." Father Fung sighed, thinking about poor Jack. At that same moment, Kimiko walked in. Chase gracefully went to one knee and kissed her hand. "I'm happy to meet you, my lady and my wife," he said in a dignified manner.

"That might be the case sir, _after_ I'm married," replied Kimiko, coldly jerking her hand away from his.

Ignoring her previous comment, Chase said, "Have you come to make confession to this father?"

"I'd be confessing to you if I told you," said Kimiko, praying he'd leave.

"You will confess, I'm sure, that you love me," said Chase in a cool manner.

"If I do so, it will mean more if I say it behind your back than if I say it to your face," counteracted Kim.

"You poor soul, your face has suffered many tears. Your face is mine, and you have slandered it," said Chase icily, dragging a fingernail across one of her cuts on her cheek.

"That may be the case, because my face doesn't belong to me," said Kim shakily, trying to get him to take his hand off. He did and she turned to Father Fung. "Do you have time for me now, Father, or should I come to you at evening mass?"

"I have time for you now, my sad daughter," said Father Fung tenderly, leading her over to a chair. Looking at Chase, he said, "My lord, we must ask you to leave us alone."

"God forbid that I should prevent sacred devotion. Kimiko, I will wake you early on Thursday," he said in the same icy manner before leaving.

A tear began to trail down Kimiko's face before she buried her head in her hands and said, "Shut the door, and after you shut it, come over here and weep with me. This mess is beyond hope, beyond cure, beyond help!"

"I already know about your sad situation. It's a problem too hard for me to solve. I hear that you must marry this count on Thursday, and that nothing can delay it," said Father Fung sadly, stroking her hand in a comforting manner.

"Don't tell me that you've heard about this marriage, Friar, unless you can tell me how to prevent it," whispered Kimiko. "If I have to marry the Prince, I'll kill myself."

Suddenly, an idea seemed to come to him. "Hold on, daughter, I see some hope. But we must act boldly because the situation is so desperate." He swiftly stood up and crossed to a chest where he kept various vials and mixtures. He opened it and began clinking through various bottles. "Go home, be cheerful, and tell them you agree to marry Paris. Tomorrow is Wednesday. Tomorrow night make sure that you are—a-ha!" He held up a small vial and gave it to her. "Make sure you are alone. When you're in bed, take this vial, mix its contents with liquor, and drink. Then a cold, sleep-inducing drug will run through your veins, and your pulse will stop, but you won't be dead. However, your flesh will be cold, and you'll stop breathing. You won't be able to move, and your body will be stiff like a corpse. You'll remain in this deathlike state for forty-two hours, and then you'll wake up as if from a pleasant sleep." He grinned at the ingenuity of this drug. "Now, when Chase comes to get you out of bed on Thursday morning, you'll seem dead. Then, as tradition demands, you'll be dressed up in your best clothes, put in an open coffin, and carried to the Calienta family tomb. Meanwhile, I'll send Jack word of our plan. He'll come here, and we'll keep a watch for when you wake up. That night, Romeo will take you away to Heylin. This plan will free you from the shameful situation that troubles you now as long as you don't change your mind, or become scared and ruin your brave effort."

"Don't talk to me about fear," said Kimiko, slipping the vial into her pocket.

"Now go along on your way," said Father Fung warmly. "Be strong and successful in this decision. I'll send the fire-eater, Omi, quickly to Heylin with my letter for Jack."

"Love will give me strength, and strength will help me accomplish this plan," responded Kimiko, hugging him. "Goodbye, dear Father." And with that, she was out the door.

End Flashback

"That's amazing!" said Xola. "A drug that would put you in a deathlike state! That's incredible!"

"It is, isn't it," said Jack with a touch of bitterness in his voice. At the children's questioning glances, he said, "I won't ruin the story."

"You'd better not!" said Clay. "We haven't even gotten to the best part yet."

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A/N: Rai said: "God in heaven bless you" and the song is from the musical _The Fantastiks_. R&R, people!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: You all hate me, I know. I've been in hot water lately and very busy, so I've had no opportunities to use the computer. Thank you for being patient with me (not). 

Jack's Obsessed Fangirl, Daxo, and Desdemona: Don't worry, it's not dried up. We're real close to the end, though. Only one or two more chapters, I'm guessing.

fallonmarie3: I'm soooo sorry, especially to you, for not writing anything for a while. I hope this chapter makes up for it.

A/N: Updated Ch. 1. Thumb biting sequence is funnier and more modern day now

* * *

"So Kimiko agreed to marry Prince Chase," said Clay.

"Because Father Fung knew that she would be safe!" cried Helena.

"She was in love with Jack," said Saoirse.

"And nothing can break that bond," said Canan romantically.

"But Kimiko will take the miracle drug," said Xola scientifically.

"And be dead, but not really," said Rin.

"Merely in a death-like state," continued Kagami.

"From which she will rise," said Limon, staggering up like a zombie.

"And reclaim her true love," said Faust, pulling him back down.

"RIGHT?" they all asked.

"The kids know the story better than you do!" said Rai, rolling in laughter.

"So," said Clay, also chuckling, "yes, Kimiko took the miracle drug when she was alone, and fell into death. The next day, Mr. Dashi told Rai to wake her…"

FLASHBACK

"Kimi!" cried Rai, knocking on her door. At no answer, he thought, _I bet she's fast asleep,_ and let himself in. "Hey, lamb! Hey, you lazy bones!" he yelled at her form. _What, How sound asleep she is! I must wake her up,_ he thought. "Madam, madam, madam!" he cried as he poked her. "Kimi?" he asked when she didn't get up. He felt for a pulse…and found none. "Kimi! Kimi! Kimi!" he screamed, panicking. "Oh no, oh no!" he moaned. "Mr. Dashi! Mr. Dashi, come quick!" he yelled through his tears.

"What is it, Rai?" asked Dashi, running in. When Rai didn't answer, merely stood there trembling, Mr. Dashi shook him and said, "What's the matter?" Rai pointed a shaky finger at Kimiko. "My child, my reason for living," he yelled, stroking the scratch marks. "Did I do that? I'm sorry, baby! Wake up, look up, or I'll die with you! Help, help!" He turned on Rai. "Call for help," he demanded.

"Bring Kimiko out here. Her bridegroom is here," said a Calienta named Jermaine, sticking his head into the cart.

"She's dead," said Rai flatly.

"No! Let me see her," he said, rushing to her bedside. He held her hand and said, "Oh no! She's cold. Her blood has stopped, and her joints are stiff. She's been dead for some time. She's dead, like a beautiful flower, killed by an unseasonable frost."

Dashi was speechless at the poetry in his words and Raimundo started crying again.

"Come, is the bride ready to go to church?" said a voice. The youngest priest, Omi, darted in with Chase.

"She's ready to go, but she'll never return," said Dashi softly. He turned to Chase. "On the night before your wedding day, death has taken your wife. There she lies," he said, indicating the bed.

"Have I waited so long to see this morning, only to see this?" said Chase coldly.

"This is the most miserable hour of all time! I had only one child, one poor child, one poor and loving child, the one thing I had to rejoice and comfort myself, and cruel death has stolen it from me!" moaned Dashi, collapsing to the floor.

"Oh pain! Oh painful, painful, painful day! The saddest day, most painful day that I ever, ever did behold! Oh hateful day! There has never been so black a day as today. Oh painful day, Oh painful day!" sobbed Rai.

"She was tricked, wronged, spited, killed! Death, the most despicable thing, tricked her. Cruel, cruel death killed her. Oh love! Oh life! There is no life, but my love is dead!" said Chase mournfully.

"Why did this have to happen now? Why did Death have to ruin our wedding? Oh child! My soul and not my child! You are dead! Oh no! My child is dead. My child will be buried, and so will my joys," continued Dashi, still on the floor.

"Be quiet, for shame!" said Omi. Everyone sobered up. "The cure for confusion is not yelling and screaming. You had this child with the help of heaven. Now heaven has her."

There was silence as Omi's words soaked in. With finality, Dashi stood up and said, "All the things that we prepared for the wedding party will now be used for the funeral. Our happy music will now be sad. Our wedding banquet will become a sad burial feast. Our celebratory hymns will change to sad funeral marches. Our bridal flowers will cover a buried corpse. And everything will be used for the opposite purpose from what we intended." He sighed.

"Sir, you go in," said Omi, ushering Dashi to the door. "And you go too, Chase. Everyone prepare to take this beautiful corpse to her grave." Everyone left.

The news spread quickly through camp that Kimiko was dead. Keiko found Ashley playing a sad song on her flute and sat next to her. "Play 'Heart's Ease,' 'Heart's Ease.' Oh, I'll die if you don't play 'Heart's Ease,'" she told Ashley.

"Why 'Heart's Ease'?" asked Ashley.

"Because my heart is singing 'My Heart is Full of Woe,'" she explained. "Oh, play me some happy sad song to comfort me."

"No, not a sad song. It's not the right time to play," said Ashley, putting her flute down.

"You won't, then?" asked Keiko.

"No," Ashley replied point-blank.

Keiko sighed and softly sang, "_When sadness wounds your heart,_

_And pain takes over your mind, _

_Then music with her silver sound—_why 'silver sound'?" she asked suddenly. "What do they mean, 'music with her silver sound'?"

"Because silver has a sweet sound," replied Ashley.

"Ah," said Keiko softly. She sang, "_Then music with her silver sound,_

_Makes you feel just fine._"

Ashley looked at Keiko briefly, then picked up her flute and played a few notes, and after a minute or two, Keiko realized that she was playing the accompaniment to 'Heart's Ease.' Keiko started to sing, and the two new friends played and sang in perfect harmony.

END FLASHBACK

"So, it's the start of something better?" asked Rin.

"Yes, something much better," said Clay with a smile.

"LIAR!" yelled Jack. "The next thing is veryveryvery bad!"

"Shut up, Jack," hissed Rai, elbowing him. "Continue, Clay," he added as Jack doubled over, wheezing.

FLASHBACK

"If I can trust my dreams, then some happy news is coming soon," said Jack, rubbing his hands together. He was in a cart in Heylin, where he was hiding. "Love rules my heart, and all day long a strange feeling has been making me cheerful. I had a dream that my

Kimi came and found me dead. She came and brought me back to life by kissing my lips. I rose from the dead and was an emperor. How sweet it would be to actually have the woman I love, when merely thinking about love makes me so happy." He sighed a happy sigh. He heard a knock on the door then. He opened it, and Gemini stepped in, shaking the snow from himself. "Do you have news from The Valley?" he asked before beginning to rattle off questions. "What is it, Gemini? Do you bring me a letter from the father? How is my wife? Is my father well? How is my Kimiko?" he finished.

"She's dead," said Gemini simply. Jack's smile slipped off his face, replaced with a look of horror.

"No," whispered Jack, stumbling backwards. "You're lying!" he screamed, throwing his coat on. "I'm leaving for The Valley. Tonight. Now."

"Have patience," said Gemini. "You look pale and wild as if you're going to hurt yourself."

"I'm no paler than you," spat Jack, going out the door. Gemini followed him out. "Do you have a letter for me from the Father?" asked Jack.

"No," said Gemini, bewildered.

"No matter," mumbled Jack. He mounted his horse. "Get on your horse. I'll be with you right away." Gemini made his way to his horse.

"Destructive thoughts come quickly to the minds of desperate men!" mumbled Jack, quoting something (he wasn't sure what). He rode down Heylin's streets in search of a Pharmacist.

There was a pharmacist who lived nearby. He wore shabby clothes and had bushy eyebrows. He made drugs from herbs. He looked poor and miserable and worn out to the bone. He had a tortoise shell hanging up in his shop as well as a stuffed alligator and other skins of strange fish. There were a few empty boxes on his shelves, as well as green clay pots, and some musty seeds. There were a few strands of string and mashed rose petals on display. Noticing all this poverty, Jack said to himself, 'If a man needed some poison'—which they would immediately kill you for selling in Heylin—'here is a man who'd sell it to him.'

"Hey! Pharmacist!" Jack cried.

"Who's that calling so loud?" asked the Pharmacist.

"Come here," said Jack. The Pharmacist approached and Jack shoved some bills into his hand. "Here is forty dollars. Let me have a shot of poison, something that works so fast that the person who takes it will die as fast as gunpowder exploding in a canon."

"I have lethal poisons like that," replied the Pharmacist, rubbing his chin contemplatively before remembering himself. "But it's against the law to sell them in Heylin, and the penalty is death."

"You're this poor and miserable and still afraid to die?" sneered Jack "I can see in your eyes that you're starving. Anyone can see that you're a beggar. The world is not your friend, and neither is the law. The world doesn't make laws to make you rich. Break the law, and take this money."

"I agree because I'm poor, not because I want to," said the Pharmacist, pocketing the money and going inside.

"I pay you because you're poor, not because you want me to buy this," muttered Jack. The Pharmacist returned and handed him a vial.

"Put this in any kind of liquid you want and drink it down," he instructed. "Even if you were as strong as twenty men, it would kill you immediately."

"Buy yourself some food," said Jack, riding off. "I'll take this mixture, which is a medicine, not a poison, to Kimiko's grave," he said to himself. "That's where I must use it."

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A/N: When you review, don't just put update. Offer some constructive criticizm too. Please? 


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: This is the last chapter. Wheeeeee!

Kaboot: Yes, I'm alive. I fixed Jack's dialogue, is it any better?

Jack's Obsessed Fangirl: Thank you! You win a cookie.

desdemona: It wasn't just you ragging on me, basically everyone was. So here it is! Finished!

A/N: When you finish this chappie, check out some other stories of mine!

* * *

"He's gonna kill himself?!" squealed Kagami and Rin.

"Hello? Sitting right here? ALIVE?" said Jack.

"So he doesn't kill himself?" asked Limon.

"Then who's the poison for?" asked Faust.

"You shall see, young Faust," said Rai from the back in perfect imitation of Clay.

"Shut up, Rai!" said Clay. "The poison was for Jack…"

FLASHBACK

"Go away and stay apart from me," Chase hissed to his page as they stepped to the tomb. "Jack is coming." He turned to his page, which was backing away slowly. "And put the damned torch out!" he whispered fiercely, and the page jumped and dropped the torch, where it extinguished. "Fool," muttered Chase as the boy ran. "Yet maybe I am the fool. I am almost afraid to stand alone here by the tomb, but I'll take the risk."

"Swear on your life, I command you, whatever you hear or see, stay away from me and do not interrupt me in my plan," Chase heard the approaching Jack murmuring to his twin. "I'm going down into this tomb of the dead, partly to behold my wife's face. But my main reason is to take a precious ring from her dead finger. I must use that ring for an important purpose." The last was almost incomprehensible.

"Jack," Chase heard his brother say warningly.

"Swear it!" cried Jack.

Gemini sighed. "I swear it." Chase heard the footsteps walking away, but he also heard him climb into a tree.

Chase saw Jack opening the tomb and thought, 'Even a person such as I would never defile bodies.' He stepped out of his hiding place and cried, "Stop your work, vile Monatio! Can you take revenge on dead bodies? Obey and come with me. You must die."

"I must indeed. That's why I came here," said Jack with a sigh, turning around to face Chase. Chase stepped back. His face was even paler than usual, and his eyes were sunken and sad, even his red hair looked wilted. "Don't mess with someone who's desperate. Get away from here and leave me."

"I'm arresting you!" said Chase, ignoring his looks.

Jack went wild. His eyes burned with a fire that Chase had never seen before in someone so mild as Jack. "You were the one who tried to steal Kimiko from me!" he roared. "You tried to use her for your own evil purposes! Are you going to provoke me? Alright, let's fight!" Jack drew a pair of daggers and went at Chase. Gemini almost fell out of the tree at this point, but he knew he mustn't betray Jack. Chase drew a sword and parried Jack's blows. Jack twisted around, dodging Chase's strikes and finally buried one of his daggers in Chase's stomach.

Chase looked at the dagger in surprise before staggering back and falling against a tree. "You've killed me," said Chase, in a tone of shock. He looked at Jack then, with an expression much akin to appreciation. Then, his jaw slackened and he slumped down, dead.

"Oh dear," said Jack, the fire going out of his eyes. "I didn't mean to kill him." Jack looked at Chase's body, shuddering a bit before finally opening the tomb. Kimiko lay there, looking like an angel with a white dress and a crown of white flowers in her hair. Jack noticed with a pang of sadness that she was wearing the wedding gown she was so proud of. Little did Jack know, Gemini had followed him stealthily into the tomb, he watched him now, an expression of horror slowly coming across his face.

He stepped foreword carefully, finally reaching her alter. He stroked her cold face, and wished with all his might she were still alive. He carefully, sorrowfully kissed her one last time before pulling the poison out of his pocket and uncorking it. "Here's to my love!" he said mournfully before throwing back the vial. The bitter taste in his mouth caused him to drop the vial and have it break. "Thus, with a kiss, I die," said Jack sadly, falling back in a stupor.

Gemini stumbled forward and screamed, "NO!" through the tears streaming down his cheeks. His brother, his only kin, couldn't be dead…! He stumbled out of the tomb and leaned his forehead against a tree, crying in great gulps.

"Saint Francis, help me!" cried Father Fung, stepping into the graveyard. "How often tonight have my old feet stumbled on gravestones? Who's there?"

"I'm a friend, a friend who knows you well," Gemini whispered, keeping his back turned.

"God bless you! Tell me, my good friend, what is that light over there? It looks to me like it's burning in the Calienta tomb."

"That is where it's burning, father. My brother is there," said Gemini haltingly.

"Who is it?" asked the father carefully.

"Jack," Gemini whimpered.

"Gemini?" asked Father Fung. He laid a hand on his shoulder and turned him around. He took in his tearstained face and vacant expression and asked, "How long has he been in there?"

"Almost a half hour."

"Come in with me."

"No."

"Stay, then. I'll go alone." He slowly stepped towards the tomb. "I'm suddenly afraid. Oh, I'm very scared something awful has happened."

"Jack killed Chase!" cried Gemini, pointing to Chase's body.

Father Fung stepped over to him and said a quick prayer over the body. He then turned and walked into the tomb.

"Jack!" he cried, running as fast as his old bones allowed toward the body. He took his shoulders and shook him. "Oh, he's pale! Ah, when did these horrible things happen?"

Kimiko sat up, awake from her deathlike state. She stretched and asked, "Where's my husband? I remember very well where I should be, and here I am. Where's Jack?"

"Lady, come out of the tomb," said Father Fung, taking her hand and helping her up. "A greater power than we can fight has ruined our plan. Come, come away. Your husband lies dead there, and Chase too."

"Go, get out of here," said Kimiko, spotting Jack and beginning to weep. "I'm not going anywhere." Father Fung bowed and let her go.

"What's this here?" said Kimiko, picking up the shards of the vial. "Poison, I see, has been the cause of his death. He drank it all, and didn't leave any to help me afterward." She kissed him passionately, hoping to get some poison from his lips. "Your lips are warm."

"Well, they are a hell of a lot warmer than yours were," murmured Jack.

"Jack?" asked Kimiko unbelievingly. Jack's ruby eyes fluttered open and he smiled slowly at her. She almost pounced on him, and he held her close as she cried into his shoulder, not daring to believe he was breathing. "How in God's name are you alive?" she asked.

"I could ask you the same thing," said Jack. "The apothecary must have given me some bad poison. Or maybe he didn't want to get caught selling me poison, so he didn't. Either way, I'm alive now. But how're you alive?"

"I was never dead in the first place," said Kimiko. They kissed each other fervently, and stayed like that for a full five minutes until Father Fung came in.

"You're alive!" said Father Fung, interrupting the lovers. "But how?"

"Bad poison!" laughed Jack. He was so jubilant to have escaped death's clutches and made it out with his wife that he didn't care who heard. He stood with Kimiko and brushed himself off before yelling, "Gemini! I'm alive!"

"You're alive?!" asked Gemini, galloping in and hugging his brother. "How?!"

"Bad poison!" repeated Jack. "Kimiko," he continued, turning to his wife. "Sun's coming up. What say we make a night of it and tell the whole camp about us, and our story, and maybe we can solve this feud!"

They heard the faint voice of Dashi coming towards the tomb, rising in crescendo, as he got closer. "Some people in the street are crying 'Jack.' Some are crying 'Kimiko,' and some are crying 'Chase.' They're all running in an open riot toward our tomb."

"Father!" said Kimiko, stepping forward. Jack grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"What's this awful thing that everyone's crying about?" asked another voice. Mr. Guan was with him.

"Chase is dead," said Wuya, who was also with them. "And so is…" he started, coming into the tomb. Seeing Kimiko and Jack alive came as an utter shock to him. "…Jack?"

"Yes sir?" asked Jack cheekily.

"You're alive?"

"Yes sir."

"How?"

"Bad poison!" chimed Jack, Kimiko, Master Fung and Gemini.

"But how're you…" started Dashi.

"And why are you…" said Mr. Guan.

"I'm so confused!" moaned Wuya.

"To start, I'm Kimiko's husband," said Jack.

"And I'm Jack's wife," added Kim.

"I married them; their secret wedding day was the day Clay was hurt. His wound caused the bridegroom to be banished from the city. Kimiko was sad because Jack was gone, not because of Clay's injury," continued Father Fung.

"And to cure her sadness, I arranged a marriage for her with Prince Chase," murmured Dashi. Suddenly things seemed to fit together.

"Then she came to me, and, looking wild, she asked me to devise a plan to get her out of this second marriage," continued Father Fung. "She threatened to kill herself in my cell if I didn't help her. So I gave her a sleeping potion that I had mixed with my special skills. It worked as planned. She seemed to everyone to be dead."

"But I wasn't!" said Kim.

"In the meantime I wrote to Jack and told him to come here on this awful night to help remove her from her temporary grave when the sleeping potion wore off," said Father Fung. "But the man who carried my letter, Friar Omi, was held up by an accident. Last night he gave me the letter back." He held up a still-sealed letter. "So I came here alone at the hour when she was supposed to wake up. I came to take her out of her family's tomb, hoping to hide her in my cell until I could make contact with Jack. But by the time I got here, just a few minutes before Kimiko woke up, Chase and Jack were already dead, or so I thought. She woke up, and I asked her to come out of the tomb with me and endure this tragedy with patience. She was too desperate to come with me, and it seems that Jack got some bad poison and woke up just as she was about to kill herself. I know all of this. And Raimundo knows about the marriage too."

"And what part do you play in all this," Wuya snarled at Gemini.

"I brought my brother news of Kimiko's death," said Gemini defensively. "And then he rode from Heylin here to this tomb." Gemini also held up a letter. "Earlier this morning he asked me to give this letter to you. When he went into the vault, he threatened me with death if I didn't leave him alone there."

"I did not threaten you with death!" said Jack.

"You implied it," answered Gemini.

"Give me that," said Mr. Guan, taking Gemini's letter. He opened it, read it, and crumpled it up. "This letter confirms the friar's account. It describes the course of their love and mentions the news of her death. Here he writes that he bought poison from a poor pharmacist. He brought that poison with him to this vault to die and lie with Kimiko."

"But I didn't die!" said Jack happily.

"Where are these enemies?" demanded Mr. Guan. "Dashi! Wuya! Do you see what a great evil results from your hate?"

"Can't we all just get along?" asked Jack.

There was a great silence after his words. Then, Dashi slowly said, "I suppose, since two enemies can fall in love, that two feuding families can try to get along." He stuck his hand out to Wuya and asked, "Friends?"

Wuya took it and shook it. "Friends."

_How might this tale end, you might ask?_

_Dashi and Wuya set to the mighty task_

_Of straightening up a longtime feud_

_For the sake of their children, the married two_

_It didn't happen right away, you know_

_There were debts to settle, places to go_

_But Jack and Kimiko loved through it all_

_And lived as two should after a brawl_

_They loved with a love that always rages_

_And their story was told through the ages_

_For never was there a tale more aglow_

_Than the tale of Jack and his Kimiko _

END FLASHBACK

"See, why can't my life be like that?" asked Kagami.

"It can if you want it to be," whispered Faust.

"What?"

"I said, it can if you want it to be," said Faust, in a normal tone.

"Oh," said Kagami, blushing. "Well…yes, yes I do want it to be."

"Well, would you want it to be like that…with me?" asked Faust.

"I think…I think I would," said Kagami haltingly.

"D'awww!" said Rai. "Young love!"

"Shut up, Rai!" said Clay, chucking a pillow at him. "I'm feeling better already," he continued, stretching and standing up.

"Yay! Storyteller's better!" said Saoirse happily.

"That was fun," said Jack, standing up. "Let's do it again sometime."

"Maybe," said Clay. "There are plenty more stories where that came from."

* * *

A/N: It's over! That was really fun to write, anyone have any other suggestions for a Shakespere-play-turned-into-a-Xiaolin-Showdown-fic? I'd like to do a comedy next.


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